Opponents stay quiet as 1st Milk Day nears

GAY RIGHTS

Published 4:00 am, Friday, May 21, 2010

Harvey Milk, one of the first openly gay public officials in the United States, rides up Market Street in San Francisco in a 1978 Gay Freedom Parade.

Harvey Milk, one of the first openly gay public officials in the United States, rides up Market Street in San Francisco in a 1978 Gay Freedom Parade.

Photo: Terry Schmidt, The Chronicle

Opponents stay quiet as 1st Milk Day nears

1 / 1

Back to Gallery

For all the fuss made over passing a Harvey Milk Day into law, the first-ever statewide celebration to honor the slain gay rights leader Saturday has garnered little complaint from opponents.

It took two years, the help of an Academy Award-winning film, and a posthumous Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Obama to win the signature of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger in October for legislation proclaiming every May 22 - Milk's birthday - as Harvey Milk Day.

Schwarzenegger vetoed state Sen. Mark Leno's original bill in 2008, saying it was better to honor Milk "at the local level."

At the time, opponents including conservative religious group the Traditional Values Coalition said Milk had not accomplished enough to deserve such recognition and that a state-sponsored day would invite classroom conversations about homosexuality.

But supporters, backed by momentum from the 2008 biopic "Milk," appealed to Schwarzenegger's appreciation for Hollywood star power and enlisted celebrities such as the film's star, Sean Penn, to lobby him.

50,000 signatures

During the final stages of private meetings last fall with Schwarzenegger, Geoff Kors, executive director of the gay rights group Equality California, delivered 50,000 signatures in support of the state honor.

"I think he came to see what kind of impact this would have not only in making civil rights history, but the impact this would have on LGBT youths who live in regions far from San Francisco," Kors said.

"I think the proudest moment of Harvey Milk Day is that you have people who've continued on with the work for equal rights, and that was Harvey's dream," Stuart Milk said.

Helping gay pols

In San Francisco, celebrations will vary from the whimsical - a tricycle race in the Castro district - to the serious business of fundraising for gay politicians.

Kors said four openly gay candidates are running for state Senate seats and seven for the Assembly. At least 1,000 volunteers will knock on doors this weekend in support of the candidates, he said.

"It would be a great legacy to Harvey's life to help these candidates win," Kors said.

The state's "day of significance" for Milk encourages schools to "conduct exercises remembering and recognizing the life of Harvey Milk, his accomplishments, and familiarizing pupils with the contributions he made to this state."

Although opponents of Harvey Milk Day are now less vocal than in 2008, they still exist.

Board members of the Kern High School District, which covers most of Bakersfield and has 38,000 teenage students in its jurisdiction, voted 3-1 Wednesday to discourage activities that honored Milk Day.

"Harvey Milk himself did not have the accomplishments that rose to the level of a special day of recognition," said Ken Metter, the board's vice president and author of the motion.

"We thought we should be recognizing individuals on their achievements, and not based on their sexual orientation."

Gentle Blythe, spokeswoman for the San Francisco Unified School District, said the only events with which the district is involved are taking place at the Harvey Milk Civil Rights Academy. The Castro elementary school is hosting an after-school assembly Friday and a "Milk and Cookies" fundraiser Saturday.

"We'd support any of our teachers who do decide to use this day as a teaching opportunity," Blythe said.

Stuart Milk said his Harvey B. Milk Foundation has a curriculum guide for teachers about the slain gay rights leader, focusing on preventing discrimination and bullying and promoting collaboration.

"It gives people the opportunity to connect dots and see that all the excuses for discriminating against a group, no matter who the group is, are always the same," Milk said.